402  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  {AmA^JurstPl887r.m• 
also  to  replace  ac.  carbol.  in  surgical  dressings,  either  as  a  pomade 
or  as  a  liquid  containing  30  gni.  to  1  kilo  of  alcohol.  For  internal 
use,  Bouchard  recommends  this  formula :  Naphthalin  5  gm. ;  sugar 
pulv.  5  gm. ;  oil  of  bergamot  2  drops ;  to  make  20  parts,  one  to  be 
taken  every  hour.  Mareau  recommends  that  it  be  taken  in  gluten 
capsules  containing  0.25  gm.  each  ;  they  dissolve  only  in  the  intestine. 
See  also  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  1886,  p.  93,  and  1887,  p.  128. 
The  Excretion  of  Urea  is  shown  by  Chibret  (Comptes  rendus), 
to  be  increased  enormously  by  a  strictly  followed  regimen  of  milk. 
If  this  diet  be  exclusive  the  augmentation  equals  60  per  cent.  If  the 
regimen  consist  of  one  half  milk,  the  increase  is  35  per  cent.  Physicians 
have  been  unable  to  discover  the  rnqde  of  action  of  this  aliment.  It 
would  seem  that  it  modifies  the  composition  of  the  albumen  of  the 
blood,  and  tends  to  reduce  the  insufficiently  oxidized  nitrogenous  waste. 
Lamium  album  is  thought  by  Dr.  Florain,  (Bull.  Gen.  de  TMrap., 
June  15,)  to  be  fully  equal  to  the  urticece  as  a  haemostatic.  He 
claims  great  success  with  a  preparation  composed  of  the  tincture,  100 
gm.,  simple  syrup  50  gm.,  and  water  25  gm.  Dose,  a  tablespoonful 
every  half  hour  until  the  hemorrhage  ceases ;  then,  the  same  dose 
every  few  hours.  Dr.  Florain  believes  he  has  separated  the  active 
principle  of  the  plant  in  the  form  of  an  alkaloid  which  he  names 
(amine.  His  method  of  finding  it  was  to  treat  500  gm.  of  the  stems 
gathered  at  the  time  of  flowering,  with  hydrochloric  acid  and  boiling 
water  for  half  an  hour.  The  liquor  was  treated  with  milk  of  lime 
and  the  precipitate  extracted  with  boiling  80  per  cent,  alcohol.  This  was 
filtered  and  distilled  to  a  syrupy  consistence,  when  it  gave,  with  sul- 
phuric acid,  a  somewhat  abundant  white  precipitate.  This  dissolved 
in  boiling  water  gave,  on  cooling,  long  crystals  "  similar  to  those  of 
sulphate  of  quinine."  This  substance  dissolves  in  boiling  water,  is 
less  soluble  in  alcohol,  and  has  a  neutral  reaction.1  The  alkaloid  was 
given  hypodermically,  both  as  a  sulphate  and  a  hydrochlorate  in 
somewhat  high  doses  without  toxic  effects.  The  haemostatic  effect  of 
the  alkaloid  was  promptly  obtained.  The  writer  hopes  that  analogous 
researches  will  be  made  with  TJrtica  dioica  and  Urtica  urens. 
1  The  process  furnishes  calcium  sulphate.  The  supposed  pure  alkaloid,  ob- 
tained by  boiling  the  sulphate  with  ammonia,  is  the  same  salt;  it  is  stated  to 
be  a  white  powder,  having  a  neutral  reaction  and  a  slightly  saline  taste,  little 
soluble  in  water,  and  insoluble  in  alcohol,  ether,  chloroform,  and  cold  dilute 
sulphuric  acid.— Editor  Amer.  Jour.  Phar. 
